Tracklist:
1. Intro: What Am I To You
2. Danger (Title track)
3. Hormone War
4. Hip Hop Lover
5. Let Me Know
6. Rain
7. BTS Cypher Pt.3: Killer (ft. Supreme Boi)
8. Interlude: What Are You Doing
9. Can You Turn Off Your Phone
10. Blanket Kick
11. 24/7 = Heaven
12. Look Here
13. Second Grade
14. Outro: Does That Make Sense?
I was really excited to listen to BTS's new album. I had never been an avid follower of the group, so I wanted to see what all of the hype was about. However, the quality of this album really surprised me—it's clear that they're a talented group of boys. Let's take a closer look at the album that reeled me in:
'Dark & Wild' starts off strong with "Intro: What Am I To You." The track starts with a simple beat and violin backdrop—Rap Monster kills his rap, easing his way from calm to full-on emotion. This is the perfect hip-hop beginning that sets the vibe for the rest of the album.
This theme carries onto the next track, "Hormone War." They really emphasize that they aren't just young boys—they're old enough to feel the attraction to all the bad girls out there (oh, hey).
"Hip Hop Lovers," to no surprise spits good raps declaring their passion for hip-hop—they cite multiple big name rappers, such as Jay Z, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar, and how their music "hits their ears" and influences them and their music. They combine this with soft vocals, again treating the ears to a multiple-layered melody.
The album slows down with "Let Me Know." These heartfelt lyrics express one's love for the perfect girl that has seemingly moved on. Call me crazy, but the vocals on this track remind me of something we would hear from a vocal-heavy JYJ, showing us that this group is not only about rapping but also has immense vocal talent, as well.
The relaxed feel eases into their next track, "Rain." This sounds like a track one would hear at a piano bar or at a classy bar in the wee morning hours, which is a stark contrast to the earlier tracks on the album. Suga nails his rap in this song, as well.
Supreme Boi features in "BTS Cypher Pt: 3." I'm a huge fan of cyphers—I love that they are able to really showcase their rap and freestyle talents. With an experimental back beat, the boys spit mad flow successively. Each has their own unique style and sound, but all sound equally amazing.
The album takes a short detour with, "Interlude: What Are You Doing." This simple, unique interlude adds some 80s/90s funk in the mix with the simple statement, "What are you doing?" The interlude smoothly transitions into, "Can You Turn Off Your Phone." This song highlights the vocals of the group, and the lyrics speak the truth.
"Blanket Kick" is yet another "man in love" song. This time, they go for an up-beat live-band feel. This song is the perfect track to relax to—this is a light track with raps thrown into a nice falsetto hook. This feel continues onto the next love track, "Heaven."
The beat picks up with, "Look Here." This song has a Pharrell William sound; I'm a fan. There is a funky, old-school sound to it. The mood switches up with, "Second Grade." This playful track is a mix between M.I.A meets Ludacris meets PSY (?). It goes back to their fun hip-hop roots, and it's probably one of my favorite tracks on this album. "Second Grade" is a mix of all genres of music, with influence from other countries, which works really well.
The final track, "Does That Make Sense" is a nice R&B song that wraps up the entire album. The entire album discusses lust, love, anger, heartbreak, and desire. They slow it down in this track to say, "It's not over" (which is assumed by all the emotion in each track), and the album ends with, "Come back."
Overall, I loved that there was a distinct theme to this entire album—it wasn't just a random mix of songs that were thrown into an album. The tracks never flip-flopped from "I'm a bad boy that can't love girls" to "I'm in love!" Rather, all of the songs were related to simply being in love and wanting a girl back. It was really cool to see all the different sounds that painted a clear theme of "love." I was definitely a fan of this album.
What did you think of BTS' new album? Comment below!
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